S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Interview and Movie Recap

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A chat about multiplayer betas, physics, and complex squad AI.

By IGN PC

With all the hubbub surrounding Half-Life 2 and Doom 3, it can be easy to overlook the other shooters on the horizon. We hope this doesn't happen with S.T.A.L.K.E.R., as it looks more and more promising (to us, at least), with every new video and batch of screenshots. While GSC Gameworld originally showed off the physics and some awesome DirectX 9 effects, we got to see at E3 what it's like to play the game, now that the blueprint is complete and the content is being added constantly.

Even better, today we bring you an interview with Anton Bolshakov, GSC's Project Leader for this title. Tidbits within: intricate artificial intelligence, factions, and talk of a multiplayer beta. We also created a phat weekend package by recapping all four videos we've released this week, gathered into one handy spot. Enjoy!

IGNPC: What was the reaction like at E3? What kinds of responses did you get from folks stopping by to see the game?

Bolshakov: E3 reaction was very gratifying; those who saw the presentation and played the multiplayer code seemed to really enjoy it. It was great for the team to receive a lot of positive feedback.

IGNPC: The game's visuals are an easy sell. What types of effects are you most proud of? What do you think gamers will be most impressed with, graphically speaking?

Bolshakov: GSC continues to push the boundaries on the visuals, and they haven't finished yet! If you've been impressed by the DX8 imagery, the DX9 renderer is going to blow gamers' minds. All we've shown so far is the "inside" beauty. Wait until we reveal the outside environments. In terms of multiplayer, the day and night light change has been the big visual hit. In terms of single-player, the volumetric heat haze in the reactor core seems to impress.

IGNPC: There's plenty going on beneath the hood as well. The videos we've seen showcase things like bullet penetration and the anomalies. What other types of interactions and unscripted play does the game design allow?

Bolshakov: The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. world is intended to be as real as can be so most of what you see can be interacted with. If it looks like you could move an object in real-life, you will be able to (bricks, wood, bodies). The monsters have a part to play, too. You get a feeling of yin and yang when you watch a pseudo-dog drag a recent kill off to a safe haven to eat.

IGNPC: You mentioned trying to simulate the feel of a multiplayer experience in single player. What characteristics are you focused on? How do you take that impression of human intelligence and apply it to an AI?

Bolshakov: The aim is to create, as close as possible, AI that delivers a human opponent experience--unpredictable and with varying intellect. AI can be in various states, life-mode (including sleep state) and combat/offensive, in the aim it to create the illusion of reality. In essence, this means an AI character will never react the same way to a situation it is presented with--this isn't a random reaction. It's always calculated, assessed and weighted by the odds of success. As far as senses, all living things are aware of sight and sound, some more than others. They are affected by time of day, weather, terrain, cover, weapons, protection, backup and needs of survival. Quite a number of the AI (man or beast) are also affected by group bindings. Dogs can hunt in packs, and military AI can use squad tactics. The end result is already producing AI that is spookily like a human opponent.